Sand Castle
by MoonytheMarauder1
Summary: Not every day with the Dursleys was terrible. Harry's first trip to the beach was quite fun, actually.


**A/N: Hey, y'all! This was written for the Hogwarts Eastern Funfair for Hook a Ship. My prompt: (object) seaweed**

 **Word Count: 717**

 **Thanks to my sister for beta'ing! (And this one needed a lot of beta'ing… I'll never use the voice thing to type on my phone again. I swear.)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Those rights go to JK Rowling.**

 **Enjoy!**

Harry was ecstatic. Due to a shortage of babysitters available, the five-year-old had been allowed to tag along on the Dursleys' beach holiday. He grinned happily, his green eyes sparkling. He'd never been to the beach before. He took in the white sand and deep blue waves interestedly.

As soon as his cousin Dudley saw the water, he kicked off his large shoes and ran to the surf. Harry, however, I knew better than to show the same enthusiasm — the Dursleys would put an end to anything they thought was bringing him too much joy. Instead he hovered by his aunt and uncle while they laid out a towel, until Uncle Vernon told him to beat it. He did so gladly.

After carefully taking off his shoes, Harry ran into the waves. He gasped in shock as goosebumps spread over his arms and neck. The water was cold. Harry giggled. He experimentally only took a few more steps into the sea, until the water was up to his knees. He splashed around gleefully, keeping in mind the warning his uncle had given him in the car about staying in sight.

Harry swallowed many mouthfuls of water and got quite a bit of salt in his eyes, which stung, but he was having the time of his life. After about an hour, Harry reluctantly clambered out of the water due to the chill. He looked around and saw other children playing in the sand. Making sure to stay away from Dudley, Harry settled down to play. He didn't have a shovel or pail, so he used his small hands to scoop some sand together. He brushed his black bangs out of his face, leaving sand in them. He meticulously shaped the sand into what resembled four walls, then sat back on his heels with satisfaction. Then he frowned. His castle was missing something.

He glanced around the beach and saw a moat around one castle— a ring with a path that lead towards the ocean. Harry quickly copied the design, and soon enough, his castle had a moat. Then he began scavenging for bits of shells to use as decoration. He used these for windows and spikes, and even found a piece of driftwood to use as a door. Still, though, it wasn't complete.

Harry wandered back into the ocean, searching for the missing piece. All of a sudden, his hand snagged on something floating in the water. He pulled it out, slightly put off by it's odd texture. It looked like a long leafy plant. Seaweed, he concluded after examining it closely. Harry's face lit up, and he ran back to his castle. He tore the seaweed in two and laid it on either side of the door to make a walkway of sorts.

Harry stood up and surveyed his castle proudly. It was perfect. It was the first thing he'd ever made. As he watched other children present their creations to their parents, he realized that he wanted to share his with someone, too.

"Boy!" Uncle Vernon bellowed. "We're leaving!"

Harry ran up to them. "Aunt Petunia," he said breathlessly. "Aunt Petunia! I made a sand castle— want to come see?"

She looked unsure for several seconds. He glanced up at her hopefully, and her usually horsey features softened. "Vernon," she said reluctantly. "I'm going to get Harry's shoes."

Uncle Vernon grunted in acknowledgement as he struggled to stuff Dudley's feet into his shoes.

Aunt Petunia motioned for Harry to show her, so he excitedly led his mother's sister over to his sand castle. He pointed out various features, explaining why he'd chosen certain things. For once his aunt listened carefully, nodding in all the right places. She seemed especially impressed with the moat, which made Harry's heart swell with pride.

He felt on top of the world. For once, his aunt wasn't angry with him. He decided he loved sand castles.

Then it was time to go. Harry pulled on his shoes obediently, disappointed that he had to leave behind his masterpiece, but ready to go home and rest all the same. He followed his family to the car without complaint. He soon fell asleep in the backseat, a contented smile in his face.

Today had _definitely_ been the best day of his life.


End file.
